Silver, what it is used for, the most useful of all Noble Metals
Silver is my favorite precious metal, I have a true affinity for the look, feel and uses of silver.
I thought I would post some uses I am aware of to help people who scrap identify things that might be of value.
Please add to this thread if you know of any other forms or uses for silver.
Silver Carbonate:
Silver Carbonate is used in Raku pottery to yield beautiful colors.
Nuclear Submarines use Silver Carbonate to scrub Carbon Dioxide from their air.
The International Space Station uses Silver Carbonate to scrub Carbon Dioxide from their air.
The Space Shuttle uses Silver Carbonate to scrub Carbon Dioxide from their air.
Removing dissolved Chlorine from water. (Changes from Silver Carbonate to Silver Chloride)
Biocide against bacteria, yeasts and molds in some Cosmetics.
Biocide against bacteria, yeasts and molds in some Paints and Resins.
Preparation of some types of film for photography.
Removing excess Hydrogen Ions from blood.
Precursor chemical for making Silver Oxide for batteries.
Precursor chemical for making Silver Powder ( by heating it above about 280°C ( 536°F ) ).
Precursor chemical for making Silver Powder ( by the addition of Hydrazine ).
Employed in some Carbon Dioxide sensors.
Laser marking on diamonds. Fine Silver Carbonate is applied to diamond surface before laser fires.
Sometimes used as an alternative process for the preparation of codeinone fro codeine.
Removing hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan sulfur from hydrocarbon oils.
Control leachable mercury in mercury vapor and fluorescent lamps.
Active ingredient in some topical antibiotic creams ( about 1% Silver Carbonate ).
Used in some tooth surface treatments to prevent cavities.
Used in the manufacture highly conductive polymers.
Used in the manufacture of a catalyst to produce ethylene oxide from ethane.
Preparing a metal oxide catalyst for the production of acrylic acid.
Used in preparing a stain to make cells more visible when viewing under a microscope.
Antibacterial agent for concrete ( at least 1 Lb Silver Carbonate per 4,050 Lbs Concrete ).
Used as an anti microbial agent in some infection resistant surgical fabric materials.
Used to help prevent bacteria from growing on Latex (mixed into the Latex before it is formed).
Used to help prevent bacteria from growing on Glass (when melted into the glass).
Used as an agent in the manufacture of Cilostazol.
Silver Chloride
As a laboratory reagent.
Preparation of Ultra Pure Silver Metal. (Smelted with Soda Ash: 1:1 Molar ratio, 1112F, 1 hour).
A precursor to the preparation of Silver (I) Oxide, Ag2O. (It is heated in dilute NaOH solution).
• NOTE: It is very difficult to get Silver Chloride to form Pure Silver Oxide, however.
In Photography, as a sensitizer, but to a much lesser extent than Silver Bromide.
Electroplating - both electroless and as an anode in an electric cell.
Inquartation in electric arc furnaces - smelting Gold and Platinum Group Metals.
As a thin coating on the surface of Medical Electrodes for EKG machines. (Placed against the skin).
Antibacterial agent for concrete ( 1 Lb Silver Chloride per cubic yard of Concrete (4,050 lbs) ).
Used as an anti microbial agent in some infection resistant surgical fabric materials.
Used to help prevent bacteria from growing on Latex (mixed into the Latex before it is formed).
Used to help prevent bacteria from growing on Glass (when melted into the glass).
Decorative etching of high quality steel. (Apply damp Silver Chloride to steel, let stand for several hours).
Silver chloride's low solubility makes it a useful addition to pottery glazes for the production of "Inglaze lustre".
Silver chloride is used to make Photochromic eyeglass lenses. (they darken in bright light)
The soft crystals of Silver Chloride deform under heat and pressure and are forged against polished dies to create infrared windows and lenses.
Silver Nitrate
In the Laboratory
Test for the presence of Chlorine, Bromine and Iodine ions.
For example: White=Chloride, Pale Yellow=Bromide, Yeloow=Iodide.
Test for the presence of Carbonate, Hydroxide, Sulfide and Phosphate ions.
For example: Pale Green=Carbonate, Brown=Hydroxide, Black=Sulfide.
Silver Nitrate is used to test the exact salinity of Sea Water. (it's about 35 grams per Liter, by the way...)
Silver Nitrate is used in Oil Fields to determine the amount of Chloride ions in water and drilling fluids.
In Manufacturing
Silver Plating - electroplating Silver onto a base metal such as Nickel.
Mirrors - you can Google "Tollen's Reagent" to learn all about this process.
Hair Dye.
Inks, like indelible, permanent fabric marker pens.
Explosives, like Silver Fulminate, Silver Azide and Silver Acetylide.
Pharmaceuticals.
It prevents premature shrinking or dropping of buds and blooms, in cut flowers. (2.83% solution)
It inhibits cut flowers from making ethylene, which causes them to ripen.
In Biology
A stain for proteins and nucleic acids.
A stain in scanning electron microscopy.
Detecting Calcium in tissue samples. Google "Von Kossa's Silver Nitrate" for more information.
To kill "Silvery Thread Moss" on golf greens - Use 8 grams Silver Nitrate per Gallon of Distilled Water, spray on moss.
NOTE: Be extremely careful not to get this solution on your skin, mark the bottle boldly and clearly!
In Medical History
A 1% Silver Nitrate solution was used as eye drops to prevent eye disease in newborn infants of mothers with certain infectious diseases.
For example, 1% solutions are effective against gonococcal bacteria. (1-2 drops were used)
Note: The above procedure began in 1881, it's now obsolete. Today we use Erythromycin and Tetracycline
A Cauterizing Agent.
Dentists sometimes use it infused in swabs to help heal mouth ulcers.
Doctors sometimes used it to remove warts. (but I don't know the procedure)
Taken internally, however, Silver Nitrate is a poison.
Ingesting Silver Nitrate causes bad abdominal pain and gastroenteritis.
The estimated lethal dose of Silver Nitrate is 2-10 grams. (between 1/3 to 2 teaspoons)
Note that Silver Nitrate has an extrememly bitter taste, even in small concentrations.
For example, this author (Rocky) has tasted it. It has a very foul taste!
Toughened Silver Nitrate is molded Silver Nitrate, hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride, called "Caustic Pencils" or "Lunar Caustic".
Silver Nitrate tends to be very toxic to bacteria and other lower life forms.
In Photography
Very high purity Silver Nitrate is the starting material for all chemical based photography.
It's not the Silver Nitrate that is light sensitive, it's the Silver Halides that matter.
Film contains a carefully formulated coating of Silver Chloride, Silver Bromide and Silver Iodide.
The particles are ground to extremely fine particles, then mixed with a gelatin.
The gelatin is then rolled onto a clear acetate backing (the film base).
This process, in it's entirety, is performed in complete darkness.
In Ceramics
Silver Nitrate is used when firing pottery in a kiln to make beautiful colors. (Raku Glazes)
For example: 1 gram Silver Nitrate in 50 grams Distilled Water makes a 'Silver Wash' for pottery.
Silver Oxide (Which by the way, I am looking for LARGE silver oxide batteries such as the type the Military uses.
As a laboratory reagent.
To remove Carbon Dioxide from aqueous solutions in laboratory reactions.
In pollution control filters.
As a precursor to making Silver Powder. ( by heating it above 280°C ( 536°F ) )
As a component in making Silver Oxide batteries.
To remove Chlorine from acid plating baths, and to remove dissolved Chlorine from water.
As an Antibacterial agent for concrete ( 1 Lb Silver Oxide per cubic yard of Concrete (4,050 lbs) ).
As an Antimicrobial agent in some infection resistant surgical fabric materials.
As an Antimicrobial agent in some Swimming Pools, Spas and Fountains.
As a Carbon Dioxide Scrubber :
Nuclear Submarines use Silver Oxide to scrub Carbon Dioxide from their air.
The International Space Station uses Silver Oxide to scrub Carbon Dioxide from their air.
The Space Shuttle uses Silver Oxide to scrub Carbon Dioxide from their air.
I hope this information helps those of you interested in scrapping silver. There are so many different uses, and we never stop to realize just how many times we come into contact with silver on a daily basis. If not for silver, our world would not exist in the way we know it, today.
Other side notes. Last year, in the United States, 40% of all the silver that industry used came from recycled sources.
There is less silver mined than gold
Most silver is recovered as a byproduct of gold mining
Silver is used in electronics at a 1:1 ration to gold
Scott
